Smile! Oh, wait, no, please dont...

At this point I have almost completed my first year. The honeymoon grace period has come and gone. There is no more culture shock. I still get disgusted but it is no longer surprising. The man on the bus who looked like he could have come been albino, spoke Berber, and had the worst teeth I have seen in a week did not surprise me, his teeth made me gag, but you get used to it. He was begging for money. It is hard not to get down on yourself and your mission. Having your neighbor go and get a tooth pulled because no one practices dental hygiene is a little upsetting when they know how to take care of their teeth. They ask me why I have all my teeth, how nice they are. I say that you need to brush them twice a day. Like this. Use some baking soda and salt. Too much sweet tea is bad, as are sweets. I need to go back into town and buy some baking soda and some toothbrushes. I know we shouldn’t give things away, but I think if I make the salt/baking soda mixture together with them and then we all brush our teeth, it would be the best way to get the idea in their heads. Feel free to start collecting toothbrushes and giving them to my sister, Becca, when she comes to visit me in May. Seeing cavities in baby teeth makes you want to scold a woman. Seeing blistered, sunburnt little kid skin makes you want to scold a woman. Hope all is well at home. Take care of your teeth.